Canadian actor Cory Monteith gave back to arts community, homeless organizations

Coroner refuses to speculate whether the star of hit TV series “Glee” died of a drug overdose; she says there is no clear cause of death

Young girls pause at a memorial for Canadian actor Cory Monteith outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday July 15, 2013. Monteith's body was found in a room at the hotel Saturday.

Photograph by: v
, THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER -- Known throughout the world for his role as a singing quarterback in the hit TV show Glee, Cory Monteith is being remembered back home in B.C. as a gracious and generous Hollywood star intent on promoting the arts as a positive outlet for young people struggling emotionally and financially — as he once did.

Just nights before he died, Monteith dined at Vancouver’s East of Main café, a restaurant that donates all profits to Project Limelight — an organization he once used his new-found fame to help create that provides free theatre programming and mentoring to young people aged 8 to 15 in the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and Mount Pleasant.

The Chinatown-based project is headed by sisters and film industry veterans Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver.

“Cory was extremely passionate about Project Limelight. He loved the concept,” Webb said in an email to The Vancouver Sun Monday. “Cory understood how performing builds confidence and self esteem, and how the arts can have a positive influence on young people.”

When Monteith was young, Webb helped him get into acting in Nanaimo. Years later, he helped launch the Vancouver performing arts program by appearing in a promotional video. He later introduced Webb and Weaver to billionaire philanthropist Richard Branson, who provided some seed funding through his Virgin Unite charity.

Branson took to Twitter Sunday with this message: “#RIPCoryMonteith, a lovely human being who moved mountains to make the world a better place.”

Monteith was found dead on Saturday at the Vancouver Fairmont Pacific Rim after failing to check out of the luxury hotel.

The B.C. Coroners Service is hoping its official investigation into the death can be expedited following unprecedented interest from fans and the public.

An autopsy and toxicology tests were expected to begin Monday, said spokeswoman Barb McLintock, adding the coroner’s office would likely ask the provincial lab doing the testing to put Monteith’s case “at the top of the list.”

McLintock refused to speculate whether the 31-year-old star of hit TV series Glee had died of a drug overdose, as many had presumed in the days following his death Saturday.

“All I can tell you is we had no clear cause of death. End of conversation ... (Drugs) were part of his history and he was not exactly secretive about it, but that doesn’t necessarily imply that’s the cause of death.”

Monteith had checked himself into rehab earlier this spring and had been open about his substance abuse issues as a young man growing up on Vancouver Island.

Donations to Project Limelight are now being accepted in Monteith’s name at projectlimelightsociety.org.

Last week, during dinner with Webb and his Vancouver-based manager Elena Kirschner, Monteith had talked about the program that runs four months and culminates in a student-run production and performance.

“During our last meeting, we discussed his excitement to commit more time to Project Limelight, and helping us raise awareness for the charity,” Webb said. “He wanted to help us raise money for air conditioning for our rehearsal space, and he spoke about wanting to direct a PSA for us.”

Back in Victoria, Monteith was keen to help the Creating Homefulness Society, according to executive director Richard Leblanc, a friend of the actor’s mother.

“We were working on a few things together and he was a big supporter of our project,” Leblanc said. He said he had met Monteith a handful of times and that the actor wanted to join in new fundraising initiatives after his own brush with living on the streets of Victoria.

Ann McGregor, Monteith’s mother, has been volunteering with the society for the past year and a half.

“We both believe in the same thing. We don’t want other families to go through what we did,” she said in an interview with the Times Colonist in July 2012, speaking about homelessness.

The society has been battling for four years to turn their Woodwynn Farm property on West Saanich Road into a therapeutic farm housing more than 90 homeless people.

Meanwhile, emotional tributes kept pouring in for Monteith on social media. “Cory Monteith” continued to trend on Twitter, along with #StayStrongLea, dedicated to Lea Michele, Monteith’s girlfriend on Glee and in real life.

Glee cast member Harry Shum, Jr., who plays Mike Chang wrote: “At this time, please send nothing but love and light. This tragic news still doesn’t seem real to me. I love you Cory.”

“Speechless. And for the worst reason,” tweeted pop star Taylor Swift, who dated the star in 2010.

“How sad to read about Cory Monteith passing away. What a shame. He was a lovely, kind, talented guy and will be missed,” said Neil Patrick Harris, who won an Emmy for his guest role on the Fox series.

Actor John Stamos, who appeared for several episodes during the 2010 season, posted a picture of him and Monteith with the caption: “We talked about how lucky he felt to be alive — and sober. We talked about playing drums. Glad I knew you Cory.”

The Canadian actor was born in Calgary but raised in Victoria and worked odd jobs in Nanaimo before auditioning for Glee.

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Young girls pause at a memorial for Canadian actor Cory Monteith outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday July 15, 2013. Monteith's body was found in a room at the hotel Saturday.

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